Folding chair



N. OBRIEN. FOLDING 0mm.

(N0 Model.)

No. 540,684. Patented June 11, 1895.

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NITE- STATES FOLDING CHAIR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.' 540,684, dated June 11, 1895.

Application filed November 6, 1893. Serial No. 490,172. (No model.) A

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, NEIL OBRIEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Binghamton, in the county ofBroome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combination-Chairs, of which the following is a specification; and I do hereby declare that the following specification is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains-to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part thereof.

My invention relates to an improvement in folding chairs; and the object of my improvement is to provide a chair so arranged that it can be quickly folded into the form of a book or small package, and from that form unfolded quickly for use as a seat. I attain this object by means of the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective View of the chair folded in the form of a book. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the chair partly unfolded. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the chair when fully unfolded. Fig. 4 is an inverted sectional view of one of the legs; and Fig. 5 is a broken view of a part of the back, showing the hinge arrangement.

In Fig. 1, the letter (A) indicates one of the leaves or halves of what is the seat of the chair when unfolded. These leaves are made of metal, wood, or any other sufficiently stiff material, and the two leaves are joined together by the knuckle-joints (B) which prevent the leaves from opening farther than on a level with each other. The knuckle-joints (B) are provided with arms (1) b) which are secured to the under side of the leaves. On the extreme ends of these arms are formed proj ections or pins (0) (O) which fit into the sockets in the top of the sectional legs (D) when ,the chair is set up. The clasp (E) is hinged to one of the leaves (A) and fits over the retaining pin (F) on the other leaf when the leaves are closed.

The leaves are connected by knuckle-jointed hinges (B) which permit of their being folded as shown in Fig. 1, when the chair is in knocked down form but which limit their movement to a horizontal plane, when the device is set up for use as in Fig. 3. The sections of the legs can be pulled apart far enough to release the retaining pins, as shown in Fig. 2, when they can be folded up against each other and placed against the under side of the leaves. When the chair is set up for use, 7

the elastic cords or springs (G) hold the legs in place.

The folding back (H) has its upper and lower sections connected by retaining pins and elastic cords or springs, and the lower sections are secured in the ends of the hollow rod (X) which is secured by means of the bands or hinges (W), Fig, 5, to the back edge of one of the leaves of the seat, by elastic connections with the holding pins (Z), while the pins (S) secured to the lower section of the back, engage with the slot (0) in the hollow rod (X) when the back is upright, thus holding it in place. By pulling the lower sections laterally, the pins (S) are released from the slots (0), and the back can be folded downward.

The legs are 'made of hollow metal rods of suitable thickness, two sections constituting each leg. The upper section (D) is hollow except that its lower end has a projecting pin in it. The upper end fits over the pin (0) as in Fig. 4, while the lower end has the pin (d) which fits into the upper end of the lower section (D D). From the pin (0) to a holding pin in the upper section is secured a strong elastic cord or metallic spring (G) which runs into the hollow section (D), the end of the pin (d) being connected with a holding pin in the lower section, by elastic cords or springs the tension of said cords or springs holding the legs together when the pins are in their sockets. To close the chair, the sections of the legs are pulled apart till the retaining pin is released, and each section folded back against its companion section and both folded up laterally against the leaves (A). The back is loosened in section in similar manner and folded under against the leaf. The leaves are then closed and secured by the clasp (E) in the form represented in Fig. 1.

I claim- In a folding chair, a seat composed of hinged leaves A A and A, provided on their under surfaces with pins 0, a hollow rod X secured to the leaf A A hating a central pin Z and end slots 0, a folding back H composed of upper and lower members, pins 0 in said up- 2 moses per member engaging the lower members and an elastic connection between said pins 0 and said lower members, pins S secured to the lower members and engaging the slots 0 of 5 the rod X, and elastic connections between said lower members and the pin Z, folding hollow legs engaging the pins G and composed each of upper and lower members D, D D, holding pins secured in the upper members of said legs and elastic connections between the 16 holding pins and pins 0 and between the upper and lower members of the folding legs; as described and for the purpose specified.

NEIL OBRIEN. Witnesses:

O. E. BRIGGS, W. K. CESSNA. 

